Bard times in the cheap seats

Thursday

Jul 31, 2008 at 12:01 AMJul 31, 2008 at 10:41 PM

Most critics are content to review just a show; we add in a review of our seats. Well, they weren’t actually seats; they were just spaces on the Boston Common — our perch last week for watching the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company’s free production of “As You Like It.” Our spot of lawn — probably about halfway back — wasn’t as you’d like it.

Alexander Stevens

Most critics are content to review just a show; we add in a review of our seats.

Well, they weren’t actually seats; they were just spaces on the Boston Common — our perch last week for watching the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company’s free production of “As You Like It.” Our spot of lawn — probably about halfway back — wasn’t as you’d like it.

Maybe you’ve seen the comfy red seats that are set up near the front of the stage. Those are for critics and VIPs. I’ve sat there. It’s nice. You’re in the teeth of the show, and you can see and admire the subtleties of the play, the hard work of the cast.

But back where I was sitting — we decided to have a picnic supper with friends before the show — it was a completely different experience, a completely different show. I’ve always encouraged friends to get to these free Shakespeare productions early and stake out a space close to the stage. And now that I’ve had the experience of sitting half-way back — I’m more convinced than ever that closer is better.

The nuances of a performance get lost at this distance. You’re getting only the basics of the plot. “Who are they?” my wife asked me, referring to two minor characters who had suddenly appeared. I understood her confusion. Someone next to me reclined on the ground and just listened to the show. It wasn’t a bad idea. He wasn’t missing much. At this distance, “As You Like It” is like an audiobook. And it’s kind of a pain in the grass.

Generally speaking, it’s a remarkably well-behaved group of people that shows up for these shows. But the further you are from the stage, the more likely you are to get distracted by the crowd. On the night we attended, some guy oddly decided to stand up and watch the show, blocking the view of countless patrons. Eventually, someone got up and politely explained to him that there were 1,156 people behind him who came to see the show, not his ass. And, at another point, a little dog that had been quietly enjoying the show started barking at the big, theatrical arrival of the Goddess Hymen at the end of the show.

Friends of ours who were even further back left at intermission. I didn’t blame them. I remember stopping by CSC’s production of “Romeo and Juliet” many years ago. Standing at the back, I quickly realized I wasn’t really seeing the show. For a few minutes, I drank in the marvelous spectacle of it all, and then I left.

Steven Maler is a thoughtful, thorough director, and I’m sure he remembers those of us in the cheap seats when he stages these shows. But this production of “As You Like It” doesn’t offer much for the back rows. I think CSC is still having to make tough decisions because of budget constraints, and the sets seem to have taken the biggest hit. But when you’re trying to entertain many thousands of people at the same time, a dynamic set isn’t just a luxury, it’s kind of a necessity. This “As You Like It” set — big cut-outs of trees to represent the Forest of Arden is static. Add in the fact that not much happens during “As You Like It” — mostly, people just talk with each other — and it’s a bad combination for those of us sitting in a zip code that may or may not still be Boston.

Marin Ireland, playing Rosalind, is an OBIE-winning actress and I would have liked to have seen, close-up, what she was doing with the coveted role of Rosalind. And even if you don’t recognize the name of TV and film character actor Frederick Weller (Orlando), he has a face you may recognize, but not from where I was sitting.

It’s a tribute to Scott Raker’s performance of Jaques that he somehow managed to avoid getting swallowed up by the distances. Larry Coen (Touchstone), too, often rose above the challenging dynamics.

Look, bottom line: There’s a reason they plunk the critics down at the front of the stage — that’s where you can really appreciate the show. If you’re going to this event to have a picnic and share the experience with friends, then maybe the outer reaches of the Common aren’t such a bad place to be. But I’ve always believed these CSC productions — which, every year, have been worth the time and energy to attend them — deserve close attention. They’re a gift from the Citi Performing Arts Center, CSC and the donors that make them happen. But go early. Sit up front. Otherwise, you’re likely to get gobbled up by the distances and distracted by cockapoos who don’t know it’s impolite to bark at a goddess.

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“As You Like It”
Commonwealth Shakespeare Company
Through Aug. 3
Boston Common
Free
Call: 617-482-9393

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